First white Omegas in The Oracle Sept. 1949 issue
 

The link is to the September 1949 issue of The Oracle, the official organ of the Fraternity. On pp. 3,30 is an article about the first interracial membership in the Fraternity, at Rutgers University. (Bros. Ledgin and Doganiero are deceased. The latter's son recently visited our IHQ and was recognized by our Executive Director and given a memento. Bro. Appruzzese is a prominent attorney in New Jersey, who is of Counsel in his own firm.)

https://assimediafinal.s3.amazonaws....cle-Sep-49.pdf

Bro. Vincent Appruzzese, Esq.
http://www.ammm.com/attorney-profile...t-j-apruzzese/

Thank you so much for sharing this. I’ve read a few articles, and bookmarked it to come back to later (the pool awaits, it’s 106 with 8% humidity. Yes it’s a dry heat. Like an oven.) I have a lot of questions, which will probably be best answered by more reading.

Actually, I meant to tell you some time ago that I have enjoyed all your history posts. Just haven’t been on GC frequently and have been remiss in commenting. I shall do better. Maybe. Intention does not always translate to action.

Thank you for your interest! The history of GLOs are a reflection,to a great extent, of social dynamics and realities in the wider society. It's only been recently that Omega has begun to take seriously its responsibility to preserve its history for future generations. The history of BGLOs is very important in shining a light on intra- and inter-racial cultural dynamics. I'm game on answering queries, too.

Thank you very much for this information. I've actually tried to do research on the First African American member of my own fratenrity, Alpha Phi Omega, and know it is no later than 1947 (when a chapter of Alpha Phi Omega chartered at NC A&T), but haven't been able to pin down where it was in 1943-1946.

I always read Wolfman’s posts. His posts are always interesting reads.

Thanks, Wolfman. Keep the knowledge coming.

I have so many questions. Doing a deeper dive before reaching out. Have read through 2/3rds of the issue thus far. Studying the photos. Thanks for being willing to answer. Truthfully my head is buzzing with new information and a different perspective on that particular time and place. I gather that the BLGO at Rutgers was more progressive than the IFC chapters were, for starters.

Treading cautiously into an area where my information and knowledge are limited. Keep posting, please. Thanks again.

It's important to know that the development of the chapter at Rutgers at the time must be understood against the wider struggle for civil rights and equal opportunity. In the midst of the progressive student government and the conservative WASP fraternity system, the small population of Black students stepped into this fray in order to be an example of what "democracy" meant in this context. They felt they had to lead by example. So they gathered a group of black and white student lesders to embody this vision. (Bro. Ledgin was a journalist and author who was blacklisted during the McCarthy era for his stances.) It's also to be noted the ethnicity of the non-white Brothers: 2 Italian-Americans and a Jew(?). My bishop, who is Sicilian-American, and was raised in Harlem in the '50s, frequently spoke to me about the significant discrimination that Italian-Americans suffered historically in America. (In the GLO sphere there is a historically Italian-American NIC fraternity, Alpha Phi Delta, which was formed because of their rejection by WASP fraternities in the early 20th century.) So, in a sense, the 3 white members could be characterized as "minority white" at that time.

A very good point, I remember reading news articles about GLOs opening their membership in that they would now take non-WASPs AKA Catholics and Hebrews...

Thank you for posting this and for sharing your interest in history. I appreciated reading this.